Mets ace Kodai Senga (calf) expected to miss rest of regular season

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a strained left calf.

The team’s projected No. 1 starter this year, Senga got hurt Friday night in the sixth inning of his season debut against Atlanta. He had been sidelined by a shoulder injury since early in spring training.

Senga strained his calf when he bolted away from the mound to make way for teammate Pete Alonso to catch a popup. New York manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday an MRI showed a “high-grade strain.”

“I think it’s fair to say that he’s pretty much done for the regular season,” Mendoza said.

It’s devastating news for Senga and the streaking Mets, who began the day holding the top National League wild card even after waiting almost four months for Senga to return.

The 31-year-old right-hander was sharp in his first outing, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball to earn the win in an 8-4 victory over the Braves. He allowed just two hits and retired his final 10 batters.

Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts last season, his first in the majors after leaving Japan and signing a $75 million, five-year contract with the Mets. He was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year and finished seventh in Cy Young Award voting.

After getting hurt in spring training, Senga began a rehabilitation assignment on July 3 and went 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four minor league starts, three for Triple-A Syracuse and one for Class A Brooklyn.

New York placed Senga on the 15-day injured list and recalled right-hander Tylor Megill from Syracuse. Megill had already been slated to start Saturday against Atlanta as the replacement for rookie Christian Scott, who went on the injured list earlier in the week with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Braves vs. Mets Highlights

Scott won’t throw for two weeks, but the Mets hope he’ll be able to return this year.

With the arrival of Senga, the club had been planning to shift to a six-man rotation because he’s accustomed to pitching on at least five days’ rest. But now, after his injury, the Mets will stick with a five-man rotation going forward, Mendoza said, and Megill will get another opportunity to hold down a starting spot.

In another move, the Mets optioned right-hander Eric Orze to Triple-A to make room in the bullpen for Ryne Stanek, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade Friday evening.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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